4 ms·

I was similarly appalled by this - but reflecting on it further, it was probably the easiest way out. Sounds like at that point, he just wanted rid of the whole

I was similarly appalled by this - but reflecting on it further, it was probably the easiest way out. Sounds like at that point, he just wanted rid of the whole project.

neltnerb 12y ago
If it were me, I'd have just refused to sign it and let her take the risk that she didn't own the code. It was her changing the arrangement after the fact, and if she'd wanted an NDA and invention assignment she should have brought it up ahead of time. He was doing it for "free" because he was doing a class project and saw it as a learning experience. He not only didn't get paid, or get equity, but in fact paid for the opportunity to do it. The idea that there is any conceivable reason why he should in any way be restricted in the future is sad. Hopefully the "agreement" is simply a copyright assignment on the physical code.
drostie 12y ago
That doesn't sound right to me. "I just want to get rid of the whole project" sounds like a position of great strength in a negotiation. You might as well say "I'm not signing anything unless I get X" and as long as X is less costly than hiring someone to duplicate your effort, you've got a deal. My approach would look like "I know that I have a relatively stable job lined up and am facing less risk than you, which is why I'm willing to step down from 50/50 to 30/70 while signing this NDA, or 20/80 to sign a lesser agreement, like a non-compete which still allows me to reuse my code. I'm not accepting a 0/100 split because I don't have to; make me an offer which isn't insulting. Or pay me for the hours I put in. Either way." If that burns a bridge then I'm not sure that I would have wanted to save that business relationship. I'd think "Surely an MBA can understand that a dedicated employee who takes it upon himself to be more prepared than his boss at every meeting and who actually delivers the prototype should be compensated somehow."
- hga 12y ago
  It sounds to me like the costs of continuing to deal with this person, along with the almost certain failure of the venture, makes "I just want to get rid of the whole project" equal "I never want to have any dealings with the person again". Better to have a clean and total separation and get on with his life vs. striving to have some fraction of nothing at a continuing time and energy cost (well, till the person gives up on the venture). ADDED: As oddevan puts it elsewhere in this discussion, he was "paid in sanity".
hga 12y ago
Given that he was about to start a full time job, he had a choice of deep sixing the code and being 100% sure her venture would fail, and have a smidgen of responsibly for that, or let her have the code and have no responsibility for her almost certain failure. Either way, he gets nothing besides a lot of invaluable experience, that became certain once she tried to formalize their implicit? arrangement. This way all the onus for bad outcomes is on her head.
ryandrake 12y ago
I would have just deleted the code and moved on with my life. Far simpler.
ehurrell 12y ago
I can completely understand wanting to be rid of something like this, if only for the author's mental health.

I was similarly appalled by this - but reflecting on it further, it was probably the easiest way out. Sounds like at that point, he just wanted rid of the whole project.

neltnerb 12y ago

If it were me, I'd have just refused to sign it and let her take the risk that she didn't own the code. It was her changing the arrangement after the fact, and if she'd wanted an NDA and invention assignment she should have brought it up ahead of time. He was doing it for "free" because he was doing a class project and saw it as a learning experience. He not only didn't get paid, or get equity, but in fact paid for the opportunity to do it. The idea that there is any conceivable reason why he should in any way be restricted in the future is sad. Hopefully the "agreement" is simply a copyright assignment on the physical code.

drostie 12y ago

That doesn't sound right to me. "I just want to get rid of the whole project" sounds like a position of great strength in a negotiation. You might as well say "I'm not signing anything unless I get X" and as long as X is less costly than hiring someone to duplicate your effort, you've got a deal. My approach would look like "I know that I have a relatively stable job lined up and am facing less risk than you, which is why I'm willing to step down from 50/50 to 30/70 while signing this NDA, or 20/80 to sign a lesser agreement, like a non-compete which still allows me to reuse my code. I'm not accepting a 0/100 split because I don't have to; make me an offer which isn't insulting. Or pay me for the hours I put in. Either way." If that burns a bridge then I'm not sure that I would have wanted to save that business relationship. I'd think "Surely an MBA can understand that a dedicated employee who takes it upon himself to be more prepared than his boss at every meeting and who actually delivers the prototype should be compensated somehow."

hga 12y ago
It sounds to me like the costs of continuing to deal with this person, along with the almost certain failure of the venture, makes "I just want to get rid of the whole project" equal "I never want to have any dealings with the person again". Better to have a clean and total separation and get on with his life vs. striving to have some fraction of nothing at a continuing time and energy cost (well, till the person gives up on the venture). ADDED: As oddevan puts it elsewhere in this discussion, he was "paid in sanity".

hga 12y ago

Given that he was about to start a full time job, he had a choice of deep sixing the code and being 100% sure her venture would fail, and have a smidgen of responsibly for that, or let her have the code and have no responsibility for her almost certain failure. Either way, he gets nothing besides a lot of invaluable experience, that became certain once she tried to formalize their implicit? arrangement. This way all the onus for bad outcomes is on her head.

ryandrake 12y ago

I would have just deleted the code and moved on with my life. Far simpler.

ehurrell 12y ago

I can completely understand wanting to be rid of something like this, if only for the author's mental health.